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St. Urho, Legendary Patron Saint of Finland
 

Ode to St. Urho

St. Urho Statues

St. Urho Celebrations

Origin of St. Urho

Calendar of Finnish Events

Links - St. Urho sites

Links - Finnish sites  


New!!
Does the legend of St. Urho have its source in the Kelevela?

St. Urho's Wife, Sinikka

Ballad of St. Urho

St. Urho on a rally car

Richard Mattson passed away in June 2001. His story is reprinted here.

In Defense of Sulo Havumaki as originator of the St. Urho legend

Another claim to the origination of the St. Urho legend.  

 

 





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Happy St. Urho's Day 2008!

St. Urho is said to have chased the grasshoppers out of Finland, thus saving the grape crop.

St. Urho

The legend of St. Urho originated in Northern Minnesota in the 1950s. However, there are differing opinions as to whether it began with the fables created by Sulo Havumaki of Bemidji, or the tongue-in-cheek tales told by Richard Mattson of Virginia. Either way, the legend has grown among North Americans of Finnish descent to the point where St. Urho is known and celebrated across the United States and Canada, and even in Finland.

St. Urho's Day is celebrated on March 16th, the day prior to the better known feast of some minor saint from Ireland, who was alleged to have driven the snakes from that island.

The legend says St. Urho chased the grasshoppers out of ancient Finland, thus saving the grape crop and the jobs of Finnish vineyard workers. He did this by uttering the phrase: "Heinäsirkka, heinäsirkka, mene täältä hiiteen" (roughly translated: "Grasshopper, grasshopper, go to Hell!"). His feast is celebrated by wearing the colors Royal Purple and Nile Green. St. Urho is nearly always represented with grapes and grasshoppers as part of the picture.

We hope you enjoy our effort to honor this mythical Finnish-American hero. Please feel free to share your St. Urho experiences and celebrations by clicking on the phrase below and sending a note to the webmaster.

Tim "Timo Winkenen" Winker
Randy "Uncle Toivo" Jokela

Click for details on 2008 Mojakka Cook-Off

FinnFest 2008

FinnFest 2008

Timo has been invited to be on the "Legend of St. Urho" panel discussion at this year's FinnFest, to be held in Duluth, Minnesota, July 23-27. More details as they become available. In the meantime, visit the FinnFest 2008 web site.

FinnFest 2008 web site

Saint Urho's Day 2007

Timo and Uncle Toivo spent three weekends celebrating Saint Urho last year, with the 5th Annual Mojakka Cook-Off on March 11th, the parade in Finland, MN, on the 17th, and the Finlayson, MN, parade on the 24th. The SaintUrho.com Saab 900 convertible (built in Uusikaupunki, Finland!) was a part of the parade in Finland, Minnesota, on Saturday, March 17th!!!
Click Here for photos

Link to photos below. If you have photos from other St. Urho's Day celebrations, or better yet, have created your own page chronicling festivities, let us know.

Wink Timber, The VOICE of the North Woods.
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Saginaw, Minnesota

Just six miles west of Twig
(somewhere past the sticks)

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